Vladimir Putin said on Friday that troops in kyiv had begun their counter-offensive, but failed to “achieve their objectives”.
Volodymyr Zelensky greeted, Friday, June 9, “heroism” of his army, at a time when intense fighting is raging in the south of the country, to the point of bringing to mind the counter-offensive that kyiv has been preparing for months. For his part, Vladimir Putin affirmed that kyiv had started its counter-offensive well, but without succeeding in “achieve its goals”. Here’s what to remember from the day.
> > MAPS. War in Ukraine: visualize from space the extent of the floods after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam
Zelensky evokes “particularly hard fights”, without officially announcing the start of the counter-offensive
“To our soldiers, to all who are engaged in particularly hard fighting these days. We witness your heroism, and we are grateful for every minute of your life”, launched the Ukrainian president in his daily message. A message that is strongly reminiscent of the counter-offensive that Ukrainian troops have been preparing for months.
However, Kiev said its forces were ready for a counter-offensive to retake territories in the east and south of the country, adding that no formal announcement should be expected.
The counter-offensive has begun, according to Putin
These claims do not agree with Moscow. “We can totally say that this offensive has begun”the Russian president said in a video broadcast on Telegram by a state television reporter. “The Ukrainian troops did not achieve their objective on any of the battlefields”he added.
Washington announces $2 billion in new military aid
Washington announced the granting of a new tranche of military aid to Ukraine of 2.1 billion dollars (about 1.95 million euros). That “exemplifies the continued commitment to Ukraine’s short-term critical capabilities and the enduring capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to defend their territory and fight against Russian aggression in the long term”the Pentagon said in a statement.
This new aid includes additional ammunition for Patriot anti-aircraft systems, older generation Hawk systems and associated missiles, 105 and 203mm artillery ammunition, Puma drones, laser-guided rockets and support for the training of soldiers and the maintenance of this equipment. However, it is not drawn directly from existing US Army stocks and will therefore take several months to reach kyiv.
New bombings in the night
At least eight people were injured by Russian strikes in Uman, in the center of the country, according to local authorities. This city had not been targeted since April 28, notes the media RBK Ukraine. In the Zhytomyr region, in Zviahel, the debris of a missile shot down by the anti-aircraft defense caused one death and three injuries.
Thirteen dead on both sides of the Dnipro
The Ukrainian and Russian authorities respectively recorded five and eight deaths after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam. An area of more than 600 km2 was flooded, according to the governor of the Kherson region, both on the right bank of the river controlled by the Ukrainians and on the left bank occupied by the Russians.